FIELD TRIP

Anton's first and also our first time inside Manila Ocean Park. We spent more time at the entrance waiting for Anton's other schoolmates than inside the park itself. But Anton had a blast. That's all Neal and I hope for anyway. Just wish there were more aquariums and bigger fish.

A FIRST

After Anton's class yesterday he went back inside his classroom and closed the door on me. Then after school when I gave him the car keys to open the car he ran away with the keys and went back to school. I had to chase him pa.

Glad to know that Anton is loving school at sulit ang bayad namin. Now am I ready that my son is slowly getting to be independent? Hell yes! Up to now he still wants to hold my hand when I go to the other side of the room. I'm sure I'll miss this someday ... but for now I need a little bit of space sometimes. Just a few more years ...

GETTING IN THE GROOVE

It's my 4th day as a full time mom and I'm starting to get in the groove. A big part of it is I found a darling cleaning lady who can come in 2x or 3x a week. Anton also started school already so his mood is so much better compared to the past weeks. And unlike before I don't have to stress myself thinking how I can take a leave from work just to drive Anton to his class or therapy sessions. Anton's schedule is quite full so me being his driver is a great idea.

Right now Anton is watching DVD as I type this. He still cannot stay more than 1 meter away from me cos he wants his dede even if he just had his snack. Oh well that's really how it is diba? I hope I can keep myself sane but so far so good. Definitely the best decision I made.

A DIVERSION

I have been such a mommy since Anton's yaya left. I did nothing but housework and babysit. I've also been going to work to make sure I finish my unfinished business, fix all the stuff in my desk and to compose my farewell emails to my contacts haha. But Neal gave me a diversion from all that. Just before Christmas he bought me a Twilight DVD. I haven't read the books but I wanted to watch the movie. Neal watched it first and he wondered what the fuss was all about. He said the story isn't nice and the girl in it wasn't even pretty. The first time I watched it was 4 days ago and I've already watched in thrice. The first time I wasn't even able to finish it cos Anton woke from his nap. The next time I watched it I made sure Anton is really fast sleep so that I can concentrate for a couple of hours. The story is really predictable and cheesy. Reminds me of Sweet Dreams books I used to read back in high school. But its such a guilty pleasure. The story is just fascinating and the actors really did a good job. And don't get me started on how hot Edward Cullen is. This actor will be the next sexiest guy I bet. Then I see his interviews on youtube with that messy hair. I had to do a double take to make sure it was the same guy. I may be the last one to watch this movie but I have also been bitten. Now all I have to do is watch this movie some more to get it out of my system.

LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES

I can't believe it was only Nov. 21 that I wrote my last post. It feels like a lifetime for me. Since then my yaya quit her job, I am now an all-around yaya, maid and milk supplier (for Anton only hehe) of my 2 boys, I opened an online store and I've resigned from my job of 5 years.

Things are just crazy but right now I'm thanking my yaya for giving me the chance to quit my job which I've been thinking of for some time, be more hands-on in raising Anton, make my family be closer to each other and give me a chance to do something else.

I've never been without a helper since Anton was born. But now I've decided to take care of my household myself. Neal wants me to get another helper though so that I can be more flexible. Maybe in the future. Right now I'm just enjoying my crazy busy life with my two boys. I never thought life can be so good.

EXERGEN

You really learn a lot in school. I was talking to Teacher Gabby when one of Anton's teachers borrowed a thermometer. And I was like can I see that Teacher Gabby? I'm really excited that Exergen is out in the market. Anton really hates the thermometer so every time he has fever I am clueless. This is the most accurate and non-invasive thermometer there is so I asked my sisters abroad to buy this for me. I hope they send it soon I can't wait.

MY SIT-IN

I was able to visit Toddlers Unlimited this week. Last Tuesday I sat in Anton's entire class and talked with his teachers. There were times he will go to me and sit on my lap. Teacher Maica told me that he will usually just sit on the mat with his other classmates.

Here's their art time. I expected worse. Anton just got a little bit of paint on his shirt.

This is romp time. Anton loves loves this part of the class. But the teachers really have to be on their toes. Last week Anton had a forehead bump with one of the boys in his class and the Aussie boy cried and his forehead got really red. Anton naman deadma lang. This time Anton fell on his classmate and landed on the poor girl's face. Nothing serious but the little girl really cried out loud. I warned them, Anton is pretty rough.

These are photos from yesterday's class. Yaya took all of these cos I was busy making chika with the other mommies as you can see.

I love going to Anton's school. If only I can every time ...

LAST SATURDAY

... Neal and I went to the Richwell toy sale at 9am. I had my 2nd haircut with Chiyo at 10:45am. We picked up Anton at home and changed outfits to go to Zuri's 3rd birthday.

Here I am with my old friends. No pic of Anton in this pirate party. He was so likot.

Then we went to Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street. We love going here because it's lots of fun to read to Anton and play with the toys and it's all free.

Here's father and son in the gardens of Bonifacio High Street ... before Anton got all dirty with mud hehe.

After that we still went to Powerplant Mall for Power Station, window shopping and have dinner.

Thank God Anton did not get sick. We had to stay out of the house the whole afternoon cos we had our ceiling fixed and it was so dusty. The ending? Ang sarap ng tulog namin.

READY FOR SCHOOL

I am confident that Anton is really ready for school. He is now able to sit and play for about 20 minutes straight and he loves playing with the other kids in the playground. But I was not counting on naman of being overconfident that I missed his trial session last Tues and today being his first official and paid-for class.

We are closing a project in the office and I just couldn't miss it. Next week I'll make bawi. Hopefully they will still let me sit in the class pa.

Here are a few pics of Anton last Tues for his trial class. Thanks to yaya for these precious photos and video.

He was the first in class.

I guess this is their free play time.

Singing Mr. Sun.

They made jello :) Anton took home a cup and ate it the next day.

Snack time. Anton here checking out the feast hehe.

Ang bait o kinakain ang baon nyang grapes.

Pero hindi napigilan. Nang-agaw ng crackers ng classmate.

Romp time

Last but not least, walang pic nitong watermelon activity so here's a vid :)

EXCITED

I never thought shopping for a lunchbox can be so stressful. Neal and I scoured Market Market and Megamall to no avail. We really wanted a tin luncbox cos its just cuter :) But the only available ones were Batman, Superman and Disney characters. We wanted either Spongebob or Disney Cars.

Thank God for ebay. When I saw this Anton just has to have it. This just arrived this morning and I can't wait to show it to Neal and Anton :)

1ST DAY HIGH

We visited 2 schools today and I really felt like a mommy :) We were on full force. Neal and yaya were there and if my mom was in town I'm sure she will go as well.

First stop was Happy Hearts Preschool at Rockwell Club. This is the nearest toddler school from our house and I really hoped they would be affordable. Well they were not which is to be expected since they're in one of the Rockwell towers. Majority of the class were foreigners and all of them live in Rockwell. Their monthly fee is P22k for a 3hr 5x a wk class. For the amenities and teacher-student ratio I don't think it's worth it. But Anton really enjoyed himself and refused to leave. But we have to go because since we have to find something else Mommy and Daddy can afford :)

Next stop and the winner is Toddlers Unlimited in Salcedo Village. I heard good feedback from this school and I really wanted to visit them for the longest time. I was just concerned about the distance from our house which isn't really bad come to think of it. Mas malayo pa nga his therapy class. We will try out the 2x a wk class, 2 hrs a day. Either me or Neal will drop yaya and Anton off then they will take a cab going home. I saw one of my classmates pa from college there. She was picking up her daughter at sabi nya sa Toddlers na daw ako. According to her Toddlers is the cheapest in the area. She will make bantay pa daw my son hehe. Gusto na nya i-partner ang daughter nya sa son ko. Sayang daw her daughter who just turned 2 is in a different class.

We're going on a trial next Tuesday and I can go inside the classroom. Even if there are more schools in Salcedo Village and the Fort area I want to stop looking already. I think it's pretty easy and safe to catch a cab in Salcedo Park. And from what I saw earlier, there were only 6 students and there were 2 teachers and 1 yaya in Anton's class. Tapos there's free snacks pa from Mon-Thurs. And there were more affordable than I imagined. I guess because its just 2x a wk. Verdict - what's not to like right? Sold to Mommy and Daddy, and yaya too kasi may Starbucks sa baba ng bldg hehe!

PROUD

I usually borrow Neal's old corolla on Wednesdays when my car is coding. It's a M/T which should not be a problem but his corolla is really pawis steering and the pedals are so low and tigas that everytime I use his car namamatayan ako at least once.

The other Wed on my way home I went to McDo El Pueblo for a drive thru. When I was just about to exit El Pueblo this car in front on me stopped for a really long time and when it was time to drive again namatayan ako. I automatically turned off the a/c but silly me forgot to turn off the headlights. So when I tried it again the battery was dead. Thank God there were no cars behind me and I called Neal agad. A car suddenly appeared and I can see he was pissed. I stepped out of the car to find someone to push my car. Alam ko papagalitan ako ni Neal cos he said nasisira daw ang car nya sakin. That time he was in a good mood and he just asked if I knew how to jump-start. Mukhang mahina na daw ang battery ng car nya. Two men suddenly offered their help and pushed my car. I failed the first time but was a success on the second try.

Not bad eh? The guy behind me didn't even have to wait 3 mins :)

Guess what the hubby said when he got home - "I'm so proud". Aba, dapat lang no :) How many of my fellow mommies know how to jump-start a car?

PAMPERS XXL

I was excited when my sis-in-law texted me saying she has some Pampers XXL for Anton. She said this is not yet available in the market. Pampers is Anton's diaper brand until he was over a year old, or until nagkasya pa sa kanya ang XL size.


Pero nalungkot ako pagbukas ko sa kanya. Kay liit :( Just look at the size difference w/ Mamy Poko which Anton uses.

In fairness kasya pa naman pero sakto na sa waist and super low waist hehe.

SCHOOL HUNT

Since my husband gave me the absolute power to choose Anton's preschool super pressured ako. I'll hopefully start the school hunt by November. Unfortunately I'm too busy with work now so all I can do is start calling the schools and check their websites. I'm also always checking Mom Exchange for the school reviews and Preschool Choices for their school listing.

So far I'm looking at these schools. Second Mom, Learning Jungle, Cambridge in the Pasig/Ortigas area or Cambridge, Toddlers Unlimited, Early Achievers in the Makati area. Although we live in Makati it might be better to send Anton to a school in the Pasig area where I work. Since I'm a more reliable driver (well not exactly the driving part but definitely the punctuality part) I can drop off Anton on my way to work.

If you guys have any recommendations please leave a note for me. Location is very much important since we don't have a driver. I'm specially looking for a progressive or Montessori school anywhere in Makati/Fort or the Pasig area (Kapitolyo, private villages or Ortigas Center).

THINKING TOO MUCH

There are so many things that's stressing me out the past 2 weeks.

1. Work - I don't even know how to begin this. Basta it's pretty serious that I'm thinking of a transfer, a new career or just be housewife for a while. Now when I think about me staying at home that will give me more stress. Haaay confusing I know!
2. Preschool Hunting - Neal has been bugging me for days. We should put Anton to school na. Naawa daw sya kapag walang kalaro ang anak nya. He follows the kids around in the playground. Uhaw sa playmates!
3. Household - We have been maid-less for a month now. We decided not to get another all-around help because they just give me and my yaya headaches. So now I help with the house chores, which puts my hubby further down my 'to-do' list. Pun not intended :)
4. Anton - His attention span did improve but tamad pa din magsalita. And he has new behaviors - covering his ears and hitting his head. After 2 months on the GFCF and organic diet he suddenly showed this kind of behavior. Even though his therapist said that these are all sensory-related naloloka ako!

I'll stop at #4. Baka lalo pa akong ma-stress. So that's why I'm not updating my blog. Now I have to pump my milk and get back to work. Happy weekend!

CLASS PIC

Anton's first class pic at Kindermusik with Dr. Liz. Mommies included for the kids who are malikot :)

TATAY's 91st

Tatay celebrated his 91st birthday last month. Inspired from the reunion in Mindoro earlier that month we had another grand Medrano reunion in Balayan. There were 12 cars in the garage and I think there were over 50 people were peresent. Hopefully this can be an annual thing.

Our side of the family.

Tatay's apos sa tuhod.

Me and Anton.

LONG LUNCH

I really try hard to keep my lunch/errand breaks short but today I got back to the office just before 3pm. I had a plan. Go to Megamall (5 min drive from work on a good day), have Anton's pic printed for his Kindermusik class and have my toes painted. But this simple plan took me 3 hours compared to just 2 hours when I had my haircut all the way in Legaspi Village Makati.

It's mostly the fault of Megamall. As usual it was overly traffic. The Bldg A multi-level parking was full but I was third in line so I thought I had a good chance of getting in. After 15 mins the 2 cars in front of me drove away. Smart move. While I had to wait until it was 12:45pm bago ako umalis.

Well I could have had Anton's pic printed anywhere but I really wanted to go to Tips 'N Toes for my nails. I have a suki kasi there and they have the nail polish color that is just perfect for me. So anyway I drove away and went to Shang Mall. I first had Anton's pic printed in Digiprint. I usually go to Fuji but since I was in a hurry and its for someone else naman pwede na. Digiprint is really fast as in 2 mins lang. But as expected the quality is not that nice. Will still have Anton's precious pics printed in Fuji. Then I ate beef stew from Kimchi and off I went to find a nail salon. The lady guard directed me to the Nail Spa on the 5th floor. The place is really nice and the sofas are very comfy. I was also impressed by their gamit. The have a really neat tray and they soak all their cutters and stuff agad when not in use. And ang sarap ng masahe nila sa paa. Haay sarap I can't wait to have a foot scrub with them. Plus they're more mura pa than Tips 'N Toes. I definitely will be back. But I need to buy my own polish. They don't have my fave polish so I had to settle for another color.

So kahit na-late ako sa 2:30 meeting ko (na di ko na din pinuntahan hehe) naka-discover naman ako ng bagong nail salon :) Happy weekend everyone!

GFCF GOODIES

We've been on the GFCF diet for 2 months already and I am so happy that I can still enjoy some of my fave foods from Impy and Janise.

I saw Impy's flyer in Able Center. Impy has a shop at the Corinthian Clubhouse and we get our bread rolls and hotdogs there. Her hotdogs are really yummy. They are softer compared to the ones available from Healthy Options. She also has ice cream, cookies, waffles and different kinds of frozen meat. Her products are on the expensive side so I'll just try to make homemade tocino and longganisa. For the complete list look here.

I got to know of Janise naman thru Ting during the n@w garage sale. Thank God I found her! See her Multiply site here. She sells the best and most affordable GFCF cookies. She also has stuff that can be bought from Healthy Options like flours and pasta but I prefer going to her. Since her son is also on the diet she knows which products are no longer GFCF like the gluten free pasta I bought in Healthy Options before. Buti nalang I mentioned it to her nalaman ko tuloy. Basta she is so helpful and I order from her every week. She couriers the goodies to me sa office. Anton loves the vanilla cookies as you can see from the pics below and I ADORE the crinkles. Thanks to Janise and her cousin who bakes these goodies I can satisfy my choco craving.

Mmmmm..... so good!

KIDDIE PARTIES

Here's a couple of kiddie parties Anton went to.

This was Ianina's 1st bday in Active Fun Macapagal. My pics here are really bad. Nangangapa pa sa bagong camera.

Anton loved this floor piano.

Watching the magic show

Anton had a blast in Active Fun. Pawis na pawis dahil walang tigil sila ni Daddy sa giant slide show.

This naman is Kimi's 1st bday in Chili's Greenhills.

Anton at first was not in the mood since he took his nap at 3pm and I woke him up at 330 kasi we have to go to the party. Bad mommy!

Ayaw talaga magpababa

Ang sama tuloy ng tingin sa bday girl.

Chili's setup

But after some time he started to have fun and dance pa. Anton has shown big improvements na. Even though he was inis he never shouted which he would do before. Now he is able to cope better with different situations :)